Homily for September 3, 2018.
_“And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” *(Luke 4:22)*_
In today’s Gospel passage, we see that what began as a happy reception of Jesus eventually turned into an attempt to kill him. Luke tells us that it was the usual custom of Jesus to go to the Synagogue in Nazareth. On this day, Jesus decided to step into the podium to proclaim the message. He read from the book of the prophet Isaiah a passage that was about him.
So long as Jesus said beautiful things to them, they were happy with him. So why would the same people who spoke well of them turn around so quickly to throw him off the cliff? What was responsible for this sudden change of attitude? By giving examples of how Elijah ministered to a widow of Zeraphath, and how Elisha cured Naaman, the Syrian, Jesus made them understand that salvation was not hereditary. This was a truth too hard to bear; a truth that many still struggle with today.
The fact that I come from a generation of Christians does not automatically qualify me for heaven, it is the life I live that matters. Indeed, the fact that I am a Catholic does not qualify me for heaven, it is the way I live that will count. In Matthew 21:31, Jesus declared: “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”
St. Gregory the Great whose feast we celebrate today was such a gifted person and he contributed immensely to the development of the Liturgy as we have it today. Most of the great Latin songs we still sing today were composed during his time, hence, they are called the Gregorian Chants. His Papacy was truly a great gift to the Church.
Let us pray: O Jesus, deepen my faith in you every day. Amen.
*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the 22nd week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1st Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 119:97-102, and Luke 4:16-30).
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